


One of Those Days

by PussNHikingBoots



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Existential Crisis, Friendship, Gen, Loneliness, sad Malcolm with a fake smile, shout out to Bob Denver
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:55:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29138175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PussNHikingBoots/pseuds/PussNHikingBoots
Summary: Fill for this prompt:Malcolm is feeling unwell (mentally or physically whatever makes sense) and just CAN’T be alone, but everyone is busy doing various things. so he keeps going to different members of the team until he ends up with…that’s it, the blank is yours hehe
Relationships: Malcolm Bright & Malcolm Bright's crappy headspace
Comments: 6
Kudos: 38





	One of Those Days

**Author's Note:**

  * For [literati42](https://archiveofourown.org/users/literati42/gifts).



Malcolm loves his parakeet, but today her soft feathers and insistent peeps, timed to one of his favorite Bob Denver songs, are not doing much to alleviate the crushing loneliness he’s feeling. Coupled with what seems like an existential crisis, he’s guessing it’s going to take more than Sunshine on his shoulder to make him happy today.

There’s a roller coaster thought loop in his head regarding his “purpose” here on this planet. Only it feels like the slowest roller coaster in history and it seems to keep getting stuck at the bottom. Is he fulfilling his purpose? Does he even have a purpose? Perhaps what he thought was his purpose is really just an escape mechanism. Or a big old sack of denial. Why is he so fucked up? Oh, right - Martin. _Dad._

But how long does he get to blame his problems on his father before all he’s really doing is dodging responsibility for his own life? The weight of that thought threatens to snap him. He knows one sure-fire way to keep such thoughts at bay.

It’s a long-shot, but he tries Ainsley first. The chances of her being available are slim to none, but maybe she’ll still have a moment to talk. If he tells her what’s going on, at least she’ll yell at him. He could use some of that right now. She doesn’t pick up the phone, but about 20 seconds later he gets a text back, “can’t talk. boss yelling at me. call u later…”

He bounces the phone in his palm anxiously. He has a fleeting thought to give Vijay a call, but he hasn’t spoken to him since that case last year and to call him now, given his current mental state…well, just doesn’t seem prudent.

Does that mean his sister is the only one he can call a friend? How fucking pathetic. What about Dani? She’s his friend, right? She said so herself. Though she’s never actually invited him anywhere, and the only time he sees her outside of work is when she’s playing babysitter to his fucking patheticness.

Plus, she’s at work. Along with the rest of his team. Gil told him to take the day off. They’re not working on anything that uses his particular skills, and Gil isn’t in the habit of paying him just to hang around. But should he call Dani anyway? Maybe just pop in to say hi? Call Gil? His choices seem sadly limited.

He ends up calling his mom. Why on earth he does that, he doesn’t really have a clue. But after only a few seconds on the phone with her and a couple of telltale noises, he ends up blurting out, “Busy? Let me guess, you’re banging my boss.”

“Oh, don’t be so _gauche,_ darling. Since when is my sex life your business anyway? Hanging up now! Love you!”

So much for that.

He grabs his jacket, stuffs his phone in the pocket and heads out. At least Gil can’t yell at him for showing up at the precinct if Gil is not there.

When he arrives, Dani and JT are sitting side-by-side at JT’s computer. Dani’s holding a stack of papers in her hand. By their glassy-eyed looks, he assumes they’ve been at it for a while. Certainly, they will welcome a break.

“Hey guys! Whatcha up to?” Ugh. His saccharine chipperness even makes himself sick.

Dani startles at his voice, “Bright! What’s up? Did Gil send you?“ She doesn’t put the papers down. She doesn’t smile. JT moves his eyes in Malcolm’s direction without moving his head. JT frowns, looking irritated at the interruption.

Well, this is a fine how-do-you-do.

Malcolm’s voice falters a little. “Gil is…indisposed at the moment.” He throws in a white lie, “I was in the area. I just thought I’d stop by and say hi.” He goes for humor. “On my day off.“

But they are not biting. JT shakes his head like this is the saddest thing he’s heard in awhile. “Man, this is the last place I’d be on my day off.” Dani gives a practical send away with a nonchalant shrug, “Gil tasked us with cross-checking these names by the end of the day, so we kind of have our hands full here. Sorry you wasted a trip.”

Malcolm slumps a little further into his mental hole. “Oh…That’s okay, didn’t mean to bother. Hey, I’ll see everybody later, right?” He bumbles out the doorway, pressing his lips together to maintain his smile. Maybe Edrisa is around.

He makes his way to the morgue and is happy to see the friendly medical examiner. She’s always thrilled to see him, so he makes no bones about walking in on her work. She has a magnifying glass up to her eye and is leaning over a skull, talking into a tape recorder in her other hand.

“Edrisa! Sorry to barge in without even the offer of a lollipop. How gauche of me. I guess that guy’s seen better days.” He nods his head towards the skeleton on the slab.

Edrisa practically knocks over her tray of examination tools. “Oh my God! Bright! You scared the crap out of me. Did Gil send you down? Does he have another body for me?”

“Oh, sorry. No, Gil is…indisposed at the moment. It’s actually my day off. But I was in the area, and I just thought I’d stop by to say hi. On my day off.”

Edrisa has a true look of disappointment on her face. “I would love to hang out and chat, really I would, but this report is due by the end of the day, and this one is a doozy!”

“Anything I could help with?”

“I wish. But honestly, I’ll work faster if I’m alone.”

Malcolm nods and hopes his face conveys a look of understanding. He leaves her to the dead guy and exits the precinct.

Walking fast down the street, Malcolm bites his lower lip, puts his hands into his jacket pockets, pulling it close across the front of his body, letting the sting of tears form at the corners of his eyes. Inside his right pocket, his thumb passes anxiously over his phone. He shakes his head and balls his right fist, but the tears are gathering force. Finally, he gives in, pulls his phone out of pocket and dials. Gives a few instructions and waits…

“Dad?”


End file.
